 | CHAPTER VII. The poetical works of John and Charles Wesley |  |
CHAPTER VII.
914.
[Let Pharisees affect]
The Pharisees, . . . except they wash their hands, &c.
—vii. 3, 4.
Let Pharisees affect
External purity,
Thy Spirit, Lord, doth us direct
Frequent to wash in Thee:
Busied with life's affairs
We search our inward parts,
And from the filth of worldly cares
Wash, not our hands, but hearts.
915.
[Strangers to Jesus and His grace]
Why walk not Thy disciples according to the, &c.
—vii. 5.
Strangers to Jesus and His grace,
The Scribes and Pharisees precise
In outward things religion place,
In trifles scrupulously nice,
Hate the pure wisdom from above,
And quite reject the law of love.
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916.
[We ought to wash before we eat]
We ought to wash before we eat;
We should our former sins confess,
Who oft have snatch'd the' unhallow'd meat,
Indulged our nature's greediness,
And feeding without fear or thought
Ungratefully our God forgot.
We should our former sins confess,
Who oft have snatch'd the' unhallow'd meat,
Indulged our nature's greediness,
And feeding without fear or thought
Ungratefully our God forgot.
This filth we first should purge away
In Jesus' all-atoning blood,
For pardon, and His Spirit pray
To bless and sanctify our food,
And then the gift of God partake
Vouchsafed us for our Saviour's sake.
In Jesus' all-atoning blood,
For pardon, and His Spirit pray
To bless and sanctify our food,
And then the gift of God partake
Vouchsafed us for our Saviour's sake.
917.
[What multitudes to God draw near]
This people honoureth Me with their lips, &c.
—vii. 6, 7.
What multitudes to God draw near
In forms devoid of life or power,
Usurp the sacred character,
Themselves instead of Christ adore!
From self their whole religion flows,
Their worship is all false and vain,
Who dare on simple souls impose
The doctrines, rules, and laws of men.
In forms devoid of life or power,
Usurp the sacred character,
Themselves instead of Christ adore!
From self their whole religion flows,
Their worship is all false and vain,
Who dare on simple souls impose
The doctrines, rules, and laws of men.
Thee, Lord, that I may serve aright,
Still let my heart approach to Thee,
Find in Thy will its whole delight,
And pant for all Thy purity.
The honour which Thou dost require,
The worship which Thou wilt approve,
Is following with an heart entire
The God of holiness and love.
Still let my heart approach to Thee,
Find in Thy will its whole delight,
And pant for all Thy purity.
The honour which Thou dost require,
The worship which Thou wilt approve,
Is following with an heart entire
The God of holiness and love.
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918.
[Ye shepherds of the Romish fold]
Laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold, &c.
—vii. 8.
Ye shepherds of the Romish fold,
Who God's express commandments leave,
Yet still your own tradition hold,
This censure to yourselves receive.
Bodies ye may, and bells baptize,
Sprinkle with holy drops the crowd,
Your hearts ye will not circumcise,
Or wash your souls in Jesus' blood.
919.
[The gift which our own flesh we owe]
Ye suffer him no more to do ought for his, &c.
—vii. 12.
The gift which our own flesh we owe
If on the temple we bestow,
Though meant an offering to the skies,
'Tis sacrilege, not sacrifice:
What through the hands of parents poor
We gladly should to God restore,
If to the church or priest we give,
God never will through them receive.
920.
[Yes, by faith's enlighten'd eye]
Do ye not perceive, that whatsoever thing, &c.
—vii. 18, 19.
Yes, by faith's enlighten'd eye
We corruption's fountain see,
For relief to Christ apply,
Bring our evil hearts to Thee:
Jesus, Thou to us hast shown
All this filth of inbred sin,
Heal the plague through which we groan,
Cleanse the house by entering in.
921.
[False we must ourselves confess]
That which cometh out of the man, that, &c.
—vii. 20.
False we must ourselves confess
If ourselves aright we know,
All our truth and righteousness
From some other fountain flow:
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Source of grace and purity:
Spread Thyself throughout my heart,
Dwell by perfect love in me.
922.
[Vile and wretched as the worst]
Out of the heart . . . proceed evil thoughts, &c.
—vii. 21.
Vile and wretched as the worst,
Saviour if this heart of mine
Bears not all those fruits accursed,
Thine the praise and only Thine:
What it doth of evil bear
Thou dost patiently endure
Till Thy love the root uptear,
Make mine inmost nature pure.
923.
[One possess'd of Jesus' mind]
He . . . entered into an house, and would have no, &c.
—vii. 24.
One possess'd of Jesus' mind
Would fain like Jesus live,
Live the servant of mankind
But no applause receive;
Would be private and conceal'd
Till God in him His power display,
Force the humble man to yield,
And shine in open day.
924.
[By his tyrannising sin]
A certain woman, whose young daughter had, &c.
—vii. 25.
By his tyrannising sin
The sinner is possess'd,
Harass'd by a spirit unclean
Which will not let him rest:
This my dreadful case I own:
But tortured by the fiend impure,
Jesus, at Thy feet I groan,
And here expect a cure.
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925.
[A poor worthless penitent]
She answered and said unto Him, Yes, Lord: &c.
—vii. 28.
A poor worthless penitent,
Saviour behold in me!
Justly treated I consent
To be reproach'd by Thee:
Viler than the beasts am I;
Yet hungering for celestial food,
At Thy wounded feet I lie,
The purchase of Thy blood.
926.
[Devils must at Christ's command]
He said unto her, For this saying go thy way; &c.
—vii. 29.
Devils must at Christ's command
Out of the soul remove:
Christ Himself will not withstand
Our humble faith and love:
Lord, Thou dost on sinners still
Our humble faith and love bestow,
Then the saving promise seal,
And all Thy mercy show.
927.
[We see not why the Man Divine]
Departing from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, &c.
—vii. 31.
We see not why the Man Divine
One country for another leaves,
He only knows His own design,
Who no account to sinners gives,
Who nothing to the creature owes,
But when He will His gifts bestows.
One country for another leaves,
He only knows His own design,
Who no account to sinners gives,
Who nothing to the creature owes,
But when He will His gifts bestows.
He holds us thus in humble fear,
Lest we His gracious presence lose,
Instructs us to detain Him here,
His gifts and benefits to use
And profit by His gospel-word,
And keep, by walking with our Lord.
Lest we His gracious presence lose,
Instructs us to detain Him here,
His gifts and benefits to use
And profit by His gospel-word,
And keep, by walking with our Lord.
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928.
[How sad the state of fallen man!]
They bring unto Him one that was deaf, &c.
—vii. 32.
How sad the state of fallen man!
Incapable the truth to hear,
He could not of his fall complain,
Till God did in our flesh appear,
Who came the deaf and dumb to seek,
Who brings us power to hear, and speak.
Incapable the truth to hear,
He could not of his fall complain,
Till God did in our flesh appear,
Who came the deaf and dumb to seek,
Who brings us power to hear, and speak.
His hand on us if Jesus lay,
Our cure already is begun,
The stammerer then attempts to pray,
For mercy at His feet we groan,
And while our misery we confess
We hear Him whisper, Go in peace.
Our cure already is begun,
The stammerer then attempts to pray,
For mercy at His feet we groan,
And while our misery we confess
We hear Him whisper, Go in peace.
929.
[Happy whom Jesus takes aside]
He took him aside from the multitude, &c.
—vii. 33.
Happy whom Jesus takes aside
Far from the unbelieving throng!
His merit through His word applied
Looses the speechless sinner's tongue,
Opens the heart to hear His voice,
And in a pardoning God rejoice.
930.
[O Saviour let Thy pitying love]
And looking up to heaven, He sighed, &c.
—vii. 34, 35.
O Saviour let Thy pitying love
Thy ceaseless efficacious prayer
This bar of unbelief remove,
That we Thy goodness may declare,
Open our lips Thy name to bless,
And bold before the world confess.
Thy ceaseless efficacious prayer
This bar of unbelief remove,
That we Thy goodness may declare,
Open our lips Thy name to bless,
And bold before the world confess.
Loosed by Thy powerful Ephphatha
Thy witnesses their Lord adore,
In everything give thanks and pray,
Exult and triumph evermore,
And number'd with the children, I
Distinctly Abba Father cry.
Thy witnesses their Lord adore,
In everything give thanks and pray,
Exult and triumph evermore,
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Distinctly Abba Father cry.
931.
[They did not keep Thy charge enjoin'd]
He charged them that they should tell no man: &c.
—vii. 36.
They did not keep Thy charge enjoin'd,
Yet didst Thou not command in vain,
If copying out Thy lowly mind,
Jesus, we shun the' applause of man,
And labouring to do all things well
Our goodness from the world conceal.
Yet didst Thou not command in vain,
If copying out Thy lowly mind,
Jesus, we shun the' applause of man,
And labouring to do all things well
Our goodness from the world conceal.
Our goodness is not ours but Thine:
O may we all the praise disclaim,
The' admiring multitude decline,
And wrapp'd in humble fear and shame
Remain unnoticed and unknown,
That God may be extoll'd alone.
O may we all the praise disclaim,
The' admiring multitude decline,
And wrapp'd in humble fear and shame
Remain unnoticed and unknown,
That God may be extoll'd alone.
932.
[Made capable through Jesus' word]
They were beyond measure astonished, saying, &c.
—vii. 37.
Made capable through Jesus' word
The quickening voice of God to hear,
To praise Him by all heaven adored,
His person and His character
We testify in Christ express'd,
And bear His image in our breast.
The quickening voice of God to hear,
To praise Him by all heaven adored,
His person and His character
We testify in Christ express'd,
And bear His image in our breast.
Jesus the Patron of mankind
With fix'd astonishment we praise,
The end of all His wonders find,
His works are miracles of grace,
His power in acts of mercy show'd
Only intends His creature's good.
With fix'd astonishment we praise,
The end of all His wonders find,
His works are miracles of grace,
His power in acts of mercy show'd
Only intends His creature's good.
The deaf, we to His voice attend,
“Be saved; be perfected; come up!”
The dumb in rapturous hymns ascend,
And shouting gain the mountain top,
In songs of pure seraphic joy
A bless'd eternity to' employ.
“Be saved; be perfected; come up!”
The dumb in rapturous hymns ascend,
And shouting gain the mountain top,
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A bless'd eternity to' employ.
933.
[Lord, I by faith my seal set to]
Lord, I by faith my seal set to,Thy miracles are ever new;
Thou mak'st the deaf to hear Thy voice,
The dumb in songs of praise rejoice,
The lame to walk, the blind to see,
Thou hast done all things well—in me.
| CHAPTER VII. The poetical works of John and Charles Wesley | |